HEATHER WATSON has the honour of playing the first match of the Australian Open on Centre Court against No 3 seed Victoria Azarenka.

The British No 3 will face the Belarussian in the Rod Laver Arena at 11am local time (midnight GMT).

Azarenka won her ninth career WTA singles title by beating defending champion Li Na at the Sydney International on Friday night and is one the favourites in Melbourne. The 22-year-old can become world No 1 at the Australian Open.

Watson is one of six Brits playing in the main draw - the highest number in a Grand Slam outside Wimbledon since the 1992 Australian Open. Five play on the first day with Andy Murray facing American teenager Ryan Harrison on Tuesday.

James Ward's reward for qualifying for his first Grand Slam is a winnable match against world No 104 Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia. They will be first on Court 11 with the victor set to face former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round.

The Arsenal fan said: "It has not been a bad week - I qualify and Thierry Henry scores on his return. Unbelievable - I have been watching it non-stop, over and over again. I would probably have swapped passing qualies to watch it if I had known he would do that on his first night back! Hopefully he bangs in a few more and stays until we play Tottenham."

British No 1 Elena Baltacha plays the third match on Court 11 against Stephanie Foretz Gacon with the winner likely to face defending champion Kim Clijsters.

Anne Keothavong will play her doubles partner Mona Barthel of Germany in the last match on Court 11 Laura Robson qualified just a month after coming off crutches following a stress fracture in her left shin.

The Melbourne-born star, who turns 18 next week, will face former world No 1 Jelena Jankovic in the fourth match on the Margaret Court Arena.

Gay rights campaigners are planning protests on the third showcourt during the tournament after Court, now 69 and a church pastor, called same-sex marriage "unhealthy" and "unnatural".